Research Information System
IAME 2012, Taipei, Taiwan, 6 - 08 September 2012, pp.560-568
Tanker transportation is a dangerous mode of transportation due to the properties of the transported cargoes. Consequences of tanker accidents do not only affect the vessel and its crew but also natural life and humans. Due to this reason working and resting hours of watchkeeping officers working in oil tankers are critical. Short sea shipping is a significant problem for all seafarers and particularly for watchkeeping officers employed in oil tanker transportation. The present paper is a case study conducted in order to manifest the working hours of watchkeeping officers employed in oil tankers.
In this study, the chief, the second and the third officer’s working hours were analyzed for 4 weeks. At the end of the study it was determined that for 16 days the chief officer had less than 6 hours of uninterrupted resting hours per day and that his resting hours were inadequate for a period of 4 weeks. Although the working hours of the second and third officers were in line with the watchkeeping-related standards of the STCW Code, for 9 days the second officer had daily working hours exceeding 12 hours, while the third officer had the same for 12 days.
It is concluded that, 4 captains are not enough to comply with STCW Code working hours rules as far as short sea shipping is concerned.